Kawashimaya Natto Starter Spores Powder 0.1 oz (3g), Can Make up to 10-30kg Natto, 100% Made from Organic Soybean Extract, Made in Japan

This is an Excellent Brand of Natto Bacteria! Easily 5-Stars from me.During the pandemic it was still not sold in America. So I had ordered it directly from Japan, doing which I had to pay perhaps more for shipping than the actual price of the product. However, I got very good experience using it. I had then suggested the company to try and sell through Amazon. They actually did that after a few months and then notified me via E-mail that they had made the arrangement with Amazon. I last purchased it from Amazon in June-2022. Because I make only for myself, a 10-gm packet lasts 9 to 10 months. That packet is nearly finished and I have to order again soon.I have very nearly perfected my method of Natto making now but for that I had to read a lot on the internet. Some of the things I read really helped me. Let me give a few tips myself below:(1) For Natto, use the "smaller sized soybeans". If you are buying in the USA, then "Laurasoybeans.com" is a very good place to buy, though I am not sure whether they also sell through Amazon. There they clearly show via pictures the "regular size soybeans" and the "natto soybeans" which are half the size. I usually buy their 13-lb bag Natto Soybeans, which I have found is very cost effective and lasts many months.(2) Clean the beans and then soak them for at least 18-hours, preferably 24-hours. Then "steam them". Never "boil" the beans under water - just steam them. This is something I learned by reading someone. Using an Instapot, I steam them under full pressure for 1-hour and then switch off but let it remain under pressure for another 20-minutes. I start with 250-grams of dry Natto Soybeans.(3) Towards the end of (2) above, I let the Natto Spores develop for about 10-minutes in a very small cup of distilled water warmed to around 40-deg C (104-deg F). I use "3 full scoops" of the small spoon they provide. I have found that for us who are not that experienced, putting more Natto powder helps! NOTE: All utensils and containers have to be fully sanitized by using boiling water before start.(4) When the Instapot is opened, I wait till the temperature drops to around 60-deg C (140-deg F) before trying to put in the developed natto water (sanitizing the thermometer tip!). After that temperature reaches 60C/140F, I transfer to the main fermentation container and add the Natto Water, stirring all around so that each bean gets a bit of it ideally.(5) Then I cover lightly with Cheesecloth (so that the natto bacteria can breathe air) and then ferment for 28-hours. I use a Japanese made Natto Maker for it.(6) After 28-hours I take it out, transfer it to a couple of plastic containers and then keep it on the "fridge" side of the refrigerator (not "freezer") for 24 to 36 hours.(7) After that I distribute it to very small plastic containers and then keep them in the "freezer" to be consumed over two weeks or so. For long storage they have to be in the freezer.(8) Starting with 250-grams of dry Natto Soybeans finally gives me around 600-grams of Natto. Using 16 small plastic containers gives me approximately 37-grams in each, all independently packed to be opened one a day.(9) I tried the "6-Qt. Instant Pot Ultra" for fermentation also but there it is a lot trickier because their "temperature control" is very poor (unless I have a bad one). By careful measurement I have seen wild swings of 10-degF both ways and that is very bad for Natto making. Therefore, you cannot directly do it in their pot. That's what I have found. I have wasted a lot of soybeans trying to do it that way. My purpose was to do a lot more than the Japanese Natto Maker will let me (it is really small) but my Instant Pot experiment uniformly failed. However, I have finally done it by using "another pot" inside their main pot and putting some water at the bottom of the main pot! The "water inside" stabilizes the temperature very well. I have measured the temperature of the water independently using a thermometer and it really holds steady. I use the Yogurt Setting, keeping the Temperature at 111-degF. This time I ferment for about 38-hours, covering the Lid as usual but "no Pressure" is used (that opening has to be there for bacteria breathing); I don't put the pressure weight. The second pot I purchased through Amazon is slightly smaller in diameter than the main pot and fits easily. It also has its own ventilated cover which I put on top but the "cloth covering" is there anyway here also. This method has really succeeded. Now I can start with 320-grams of dry Natto Soybeans and get the same results. The amount I finally get back is 20-days worth at 40-grams a day.(10) Do not make the Natto too deep, because breathing is required by the bacteria. You should ferment in a "wider pot" but not too deep. The Japanese Natto Maker Pot is too small in diameter and so, I cannot make too much in it at one time, though as a Natto Maker itself is really good (much better than Instant Pot). I wish they had a similar pot with "twice the area", which is really 1.4-times the current Diameter. Then we could have made twice the amount in one shot, without having to go "deep". I have searched a lot but the bigger size I want for the Natto Maker of this brand is not available anywhere.Hope this will help people. I just gave my own experience of making. Irrespective of what I have written above, read articles as much as you can by experienced Natto Makers and the real experts!However, the review was only for the Kawashima Natto Bacteria here. You can buy it with full confidence. For just one or two people consuming, it is perhaps best to buy the 10-gram packet. That way you will always get the latest batch and also not expire in storage. This is something I would rather buy directly from Japan but the shipping costs are too much.By the way, I store the packet on the "fridge side" of the refrigerator, to keep it cool through the months. Don't keep it on the "freezer side" because the bacteria might die. Just fridge side might be all right I think. I don't know what Kawashima suggests for normal storage but for me keeping it on the fridge side has worked.NOTE [UPDATING above on April 24th, 2023] : I wrote in (3) above that I use "3 full scoops" of the small spoon they provide. Unfortunately, Kawashima does not provide any spoon. The spoon I have is from another brand I had tried before. I had forgotten about that completely while writing the above but remembered later. I am not sure why Kawashima does not provide a spoon each each packet. That is a huge omission I think. Requesting Kawashima to either include a Natto Bacteria Spoon with each packet or at least sell it as an accessory. Thanks.

just a pinch and natto is off to a great start, using Insta Pot on Yogurt setting for 24 hours is all it takes.Very easy

Normally I would have natto in the freezer to use as a start. I decided availability and convenience made the purchase worth it. You can make a lot with this package and the batches I've made has come out perfect every time. Plenty of recipes online.

Kawashimaya Natto Starter Spores are very powerful and active.It requires only a few spores to make a quote of dry soybean.I got very tasty natto easily.

It didn’t work for me which was probably my fault because natto is extremely finicky. My qualms with this product is that it is too expensive. $13 for .1 oz is too much. .1oz is only enough for one batch. I wish I would have purchased something else that gave me more for my money.Update: the company refunded my purchase which I appreciate. It’s nice to find a company that stands behind its products and has good customer service.

We make natto regularly, and the Kawashimaya starter spores work perfectly every time. Highly recommended.

This stuff works like a charm! I’ve worked with bread a lot, so working with this culture is very similar. I used two tablespoons of boiled water, cooked to 110f. Just less than 1/4 teaspoon of the magic powder in the water and the beans cooled to 110f. Yogurt function on my pressure cooker for 14 hours. Super stringy and stinky nattō! Delicious!

It worked well to make natto at home. I wish there is a pre meadured spoon.